Do you want to be a journalist?

The career of a journalist demands a wide range of qualities and skills. There is no doubt that this career is highly rewarding, but a journalist has to work very hard for this. He has to know something of everything.

Journalists

• inform about the problems, events and opinions
• criticize public institutions and government and help them solve the problems
• control the work of public institutions and government
• form public opinion

The person who wants to reach the top has to master the techniques of journalism and go through the mill. He should also possess a flair for writing, sound judgement, personal integrity, earning for facts and an expert knowledge of all branches of journalism.

People who work for newspapers in the editorial departments need a strong sense of curiosity. The other qualifications include a good command of language in which the paper is printed, an interest in politics and the government, a desire to know why things happen, high respect for accuracy and an aptitude for personal communication with other people in order to obtain news from them. A reporter must be both a willing listener and an alert poser of questions.

People who join this career can specialise in a particular branch of journalism like news reporting, editorial work, photography, feature writing, sports reporting, writing for TV and Radio, criticism, magazine writing etc.

Reporting and desk-work are two main divisions of news­room work. Reporting includes gathering and writing news and feature stories. Desk-work includes the preparation for printing of the writing material and photographs submitted by the reporters, photographers and the news agencies. People who do the desk-work are called the editors.

Media careers appear to be full of glamor and prestige. The pros and cons of careers in the media industry will help you decide whether to start working in this challenging field.

Pros of a Career in the Media Industry

• Journalists are part of the events, they are witnesses to history.
• They meet important people, top celebrities.
• Careers in the media industry are full of surprises: you never know what a day will bring when you work in media.

Cons of a Career in the Media Industry

• The public often doesn’t trust people who work in media.
• Low pay and long hours, especially in the beginning.
• New competition: traditional media companies have to learn to build their brand on the Internet, newspaper reporters are forced to shoot video for websites and TV reporters are required to use Facebook or Twitter to post breaking news.